Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor

Location: Remote

Organization: ChildFund

Deadline:  October 15, 2025

Job Description

• Location: Nairobi, Addis Abeba, Freetown or Lusaka
• ChildFund office: International Office
• Manager/Supervisor title: Vice President, Program Resources & Institutional Learning
• Position type: Full-time regular
• Work environment: Remote

About ChildFund

ChildFund is a child-focused international development organization that works in 23 countries to connect children with the people, resources and institutions they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled, and safe, no matter where they are.

ChildFund’s Values

We aspire for every person in our organization—program participants, supporters, staff, and volunteers alike—to feel free, safe, and confident to be themselves. In our culture of connection, you will have ample opportunity to grow, learn, and lead while contributing your talents and innovations to our inspiring mission.

ChildFund’s Commitment

ChildFund International has a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) and all other forms of harm by its staff, partners, and other representatives in the delivery of its mission and services for children. ChildFund is committed to creating a safe environment in the workplace as well as in the communities where it delivers programs and services. ChildFund expects every staff member, partner, and representative to adhere to this commitment and to ensure all organizational policies and standards are followed. This position is subject to a range of vetting checks, including a criminal records check and/or disclosure to ensure program participants are safeguarded.

About This Role

The role of the Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor at ChildFund International encompasses several key elements that are crucial for the success of the organization’s global livelihoods program portfolio. The Global livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor provides technical support and leadership to strengthen ChildFund International’s global livelihoods program portfolio, enhancing program quality and ensuring that Livelihoods programs are designed with the latest best practice and ChildFund’s impact evidence.

ChildFund’s livelihoods program portfolio covers three key practice areas—economic empowerment for families (including women), economic empowerment for youth, and food security.  The programs’ intervention strategies are delivered in both development and humanitarian context and often include a focus on youth participation in agriculture and green jobs and the integration of climate-smart practices.

The Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor works closely with the Director of Program and Product Design to ensure that grant proposals are well-crafted and aligned with ChildFund’s Results Framework,  key sectoral and global practices, and evidence of global impact. These elements are integral to the role and contribute to the overall effectiveness and impact of ChildFund International’s global livelihoods programs.

The role requires working closely with the Business Development and the Grant Acquisitions teams to expand and diversify resources for ChildFund livelihoods programs, which is essential for securing funding and creating new opportunities for the organization’s livelihoods initiatives and global aspiration of positively impacting 100 M children and their families around the world.

The Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor, jointly with the Grant Acquisitions Advisor, lead the livelihoods grant acquisition portfolio, focusing on proposal development, which includes proposal development, proposal management, technical design, and documentation of best practices, capacity statements, and technical approaches among others.

The Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor also partners with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) unit to guide ChildFund’s livelihoods program evidence and impact assessment needs, priorities, and thought leadership product development.

This is a full-time, open-ended, remote position open to internal and external candidates in the following location: Kenya, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Zambia. To be eligible, candidates must have current work authorization and residence in one of the above locations.

Required Experience and Education

Experience

• 8 to 10 years of progressive program management or technical advisor experience in livelihoods programs that include a focus on economic empowerment (youth, women, families) and/or food security, across multiple country or regional contexts, with a minimum of 3 years of international field experience.
• A minimum of 8 years of experience as a regional or global livelihoods sector expert with responsibilities for program design, technical leadership, innovation and business development within the international development or humanitarian sector and a proven track record of leading complex program design for grant acquisition.
• Demonstrated experience with program design for large-scale livelihood-focused grants, such as those from USAID, EU, UNICEF, foundations, and multilaterals.
• Strong technical writing and proposal development skills, that includes the ability to showcase well-designed, impact-focused model program that highlight ChildFund’s capacity(ies).
• Proven ability to build and maintain strategic relationships internally and externally fostering a focus on a strong donor engagement and creating effective funder-focused communications.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) degree or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Master’s degree or higher in international development, agricultural/food science, agricultural economics, behavioral sciences,  or another relevant field is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading program design for large-scale grants (e.g., USAID, EU, UNICEF, foundations, and multilaterals).

Primary Responsibilities

1. Technical Support and Leadership: The Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor provides technical support and leadership to strengthen ChildFund International’s global livelihoods program portfolio. This involves enhancing program quality and ensuring that livelihoods programs are designed with the latest best practices and ChildFund’s impact evidence.
2. Grant Proposal Development: The Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor works closely with the Director of Program and Product Design to ensure that grant proposals are well-crafted and aligned with ChildFund’s Global Results Framework, key sectoral and global practices, and evidence of global impact. This responsibility is integral to the role and contributes to the overall effectiveness and impact of ChildFund International’s global livelihoods programs.
3. Resource Expansion and Diversification: The role requires working closely with the Business Development and Grant Acquisitions teams to expand and diversify resources for ChildFund livelihoods programs. This is essential for securing funding and creating new opportunities for the organization’s livelihoods initiatives and global aspiration of positively impacting 100 million children and their families around the world.
4. Livelihoods Grant Acquisition Portfolio Management: Jointly with the Grant Acquisitions Advisor, the Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor leads the livelihoods grant acquisition portfolio. This includes focusing on proposal development, proposal management, technical design, and documentation of best practices, capacity statements, and technical approaches.
5. Partnership Cultivation: The Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor actively cultivates partnerships with external organizations, stakeholders, and donors to enhance collaboration opportunities, secure funding, and promote ChildFund International’s livelihoods initiatives.
6. Collaboration with MERL Unit: The Global Livelihoods Senior Technical Advisor partners with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) unit to guide ChildFund’s livelihoods program evidence and impact assessment needs, priorities, and thought leadership product development.

Other

1. Remain alert and responsive to any child safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the child safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Child Safeguarding Policy.
2. Travel domestically and internationally up to 20%.

Required Competencies

ChildFund’s Core Competencies

• Teamwork: the ability to work effectively and collaborate with others; values and respects individual differences.
• Communication: demonstrates empathy and tact when communicating with others and uses a storytelling approach when appropriate.
• Results orientation: gets things done; takes proactive steps to achieve organizational goals and quality standards.
• Decision making: uses good judgement, critical thinking, and non-traditional ways to evaluate problems and opportunities; reflects and innovates to improve decisions and outcomes.
• Resilience: thrives and grows in rapidly changing, demanding, and complex environments.
• Digital literacy: adopts and champions new technology to relevant contexts, stays aware of technological trends and embraces technological solutions to business challenges.

Other Required Competencies

• Technical Expertise and Leadership: The ability to provide technical support and leadership for the Expansion and Diversification of revenue streams.
• Grant Proposal Development: Strong skills in technical writing; ability to collaborate with the Senior Director of Program and Product Design to craft well-aligned grant proposals that adhere to ChildFund’s Global Results Framework, key sectoral and global practices, and evidence of impact.
• Donor Relations and Funding Models: Proficiency in identifying global donors, cultivating relationships with key donors, advising on donor trends, knowledge and understanding of existing and emerging funding models.
• Livelihoods Grant Acquisition: Expertise in leading the livelihoods grant acquisition portfolio, focusing on proposal development.
• Impact Assessment and Collaboration: Competence in guiding ChildFund livelihoods program evidence and impact assessment needs, priorities, and thought leadership product development.
• Capacity Building and Training: Demonstrated ability to conduct effective capacity building and training in virtual settings.
• Work effectively in a matrix environment: involves the ability to navigate and collaborate within a matrix organizational structure, where multiple reporting lines and cross-functional teams are common.
• Effective representation and networking: represent the organization effectively in various forums and build strong networks with technical partners, multilateral agencies, foundations, and other stakeholders.
• Strong computer skills, with familiarity in using Microsoft Office suite applications: This competency requires proficiency in using Microsoft Office suite applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

 

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